Little House
by MobileTracker
Summary: Tigress' nightmares are nothing new to her. But when they are especially bad one night there is only one person who can protect her.


Tigress was tossing and turning in bed. It wasn't that she couldn't sleep, it was that the nightmares that came when she did were almost worse than getting no sleep at all. Usually she could've fought them back as she had done for years before, but tonight they were especially bad.

She tossed again, her eyes closed tightly as she tried desperately to get away in her nightmare. She didn't want to remember the horrible things she had done as a child, the shouts and screams of "monster!" and "murderer!". In her dream she found herself running down a long, endless hall filled with people from her past. They were all chanting "monster" at her, shouting "murderer" as she desperately ran past them looking for a way out.

_She doesn't look, she doesn't see_

_Opens up for nobody;_

_Figures out, she figures out_

_Narrow line, she can't decide,_

_Everything short of suicide_

_Never hurts, nearly works_

_Something scratches it's way out,_

_Something you want to forget about._

Across the hallway, Po woke with a start. He wasn't sure what had woken him up, but he knew it was something. He quietly got out of bed and reached out to light the candle nearby to provide him with some light. He sat back on his bed for a moment, trying to remember what had woken him up. He hadn't had a nightmare, he wasn't hungry either. It was just odd...

His ears caught the faintest hint of a whimper coming from across the hall. Tigress. Was she the one who had woken him up?

_A part of you that'll never show, you're the only one that'll ever know._

_Take it back to when it all began, take your time, would you understand_

_What it's all about, what it's all about_

Tigress ran as fast as she could down the hall in her mind. The further than ran the more she realized she was trapped in the Bao Gu Orphanage. And the further she ran the longer the hall became. The shouts of "murderer" and "monster" grew louder with each and every step she took. She had to find a way out!

"Tigress!"

That voice stuck out amongst the others. She couldn't see who it was, but she nearly recognized the voice right away. In her panic, Tigress ran a little faster towards the one voice that was different from the rest. "Tigress!" it called again as something knocked her off her feet, slamming her into the nearby wall.

Tigress hurriedly got back on her toes, running as hard as she could again. "Tigress!" the voice shouted again, getting much, much louder. Ahead she could see the outline of a shape bathed in a golden light.

She ran for it.

_Something scratches it's way out, something you want to forget about._

_No one expects you to get up, all on your own with no one around._

She launched herself towards the outline ahead of her, feeling a wave of comfort overtake her fear as she collided with it. Her eyes snapped awake as she let out a shout, taking shallow and hurried breaths as the world around her came back into focus. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her as she became away of the feeling of something warm and fuzzy pressed against her back.

She looked down to see the black arm wrapped tightly around her chest. In her panic she had latched onto it and dug her claws slightly into it's flesh, drawing a small amount of blood. "Po?" She asked quietly between breaths. Feeling the panda nod behind her, she closed her eyes for a moment and tried to take control of her breathing.

She unhinged her claws from his arm, leaning back into the comfort he provided her without even having been asked. "Nightmare?" He whispered quietly into her ear and she nodded without saying a word. If it had been any other time, she might have stuck the panda upside the head for holding her like this. But tonight? She just wanted to feel safe and secure. She leaned further back into him, gently rubbing the spot on his arm were her claws had hurt him. He shifted behind her before wrapping his other arm around her waist.

Tonight the demons of her dreams had lost, and the Dragon Warrior she once mocked was the one who saved her from them. Tigress looked up at him as he guarded her from her nightmares, nuzzling up under his chin before closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Po."

_Something scratches it's way... something you want to forget about._

_No one expects you to get up, all on your own with no one around._

_Story: MT2011_

_Song: Little House by The Fray_


End file.
